Beer: Ratings & Reviews

Reviews by dwilson01:

poured from a 12oz into my arrogant bastard pint glass, a thick hazy dark amber color, reminds me of the color of rosewood. Dense sandy off white yellow head dissipates evenly as the carbonation which is initially present slows to a trickle. Unfiltered, appearance is dense and malty I am looking forward to the flavor.

The smell is spicy and woody, coriander, nutmeg, some sweeter cinnamon and sugar, definitely some solid assortment of hops in here to balance with whatever awesome amount of malt is poured in there to make it such a frothy thick head and dense body.

The taste has it all, holiday spices; coriander, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, mace. Some vanilla too like it was thrown in oak barrels for a while. A tad of pine, some orange type citrus flavors. Malt sweetness balances this well, body is well defined, caramel and brown sugar, maple syrup. It's got a lot and they're all well defined in their own right as well, makes for a great experience.

Mouthfeel and drinkability, both follow from everything else about this brew, they're quite good. Very balanced feel, the malt provides a full body that is not at all lacking in quality or thickness. This is a great amber ale, seriously if you haven't had it you will not be dissapointed, it's got great flavors, a look and body as full as a barleywine, and half the alcohol so you can drink 2x as many! so far this is my favorite from speak easy.

More User Reviews:

I have enjoyed the other offerings I have had from Speakeasy for the most part Iam glad I have the chance to try this.Poured a clear deep bronze with a well formed craterous white head that left patches of lace behind as it settled,grapefruit rind really sticks out at first notice in the nose with some toastiness and caramel.An aggressive hop profile shows itself in this amber and thats nice but it doesnt have the nice complex malt base that the Lagutinas Tocaloma I just drank had the caramel is there but just not alot of character.A solid beer no doubt and I wouldnt turn it down by any means but there are better.

Appearance  This one is dark orange in color, maybe even a bit brownish, and very clear. The head come up easy and was light and puffy.

Smell  The hop profile at the nose is sharp and complex. The malt makes up an honest backbone and has some good caramel notes. Theres also some light fruiting here, maybe pears or something like that. Overall a very nice nose.

Taste  This has a light, East Coast-style flavor. The hops are tangy and a bit fruity. The malt stepped back a bit from the nose but is still there.

Mouthfeel  This is really light-bodied Id have to say. I found the flavors competing against one another and thought things good have been better blended.

Drinkability  They have some great flavors in this ale if they can just get them to work a little more together.

Had this at Scoma's in San Francisco. It pours a medium-hued amber orange, with a minimal head but some lace is present.

Smells hoppy, like many west-coast pale ales are. This is cascade all the way, no doubt about it. The citric aroma is up front and aggressive.

Taste is also a bit hoppy. Maybe a bit, but it's bold and it makes a statement. There is some sweet sugary flavors but not much can be detected through the damn hops. I like cascade though, so this beer is very refreshing.

Mouthfeel is a bit chunky. Little carbonation but the hops leave such a film in my mouth that it's a little oily. Not too bad, but not good either. Certainly above average.

A really refreshing pale ale. Aggressive and bold, but not balanced enough for me to really give it props. Still, a solid beer.

Presentation: 12 oz brown long neck bottle with a silk-screen painted on label, devious eyes are on the neck and a shady looking couple are looking for a real "Speakeasy". No freshness date to be found.

Appearance: Very deep and dark reddish amber hue, a well observed clarity shows that the beer has some carbonation left after a semi-vigorous pouring that left an unwavering light tan cake like head in its wake.

Smell: Intense hop aroma with a bold caramel malt to keep it in check. Oily hop of fresh pine, tree bark and grapefruit rind in the nose, straight-up sweet malt aroma pokes through with hints of dark caramel and toasted biscuits. Handful of fruity esters gives off a mild fig and raisin aroma.

Taste: Muscular medium body, crisp flavor with a smooth mouth feel. Carbonation is at a moderate level, hops circle around the malt as it plays around with the flavor. Suggestions of pumpernickel, caramel and toasted biscuit show how deep the complexity can get with this ale. Fruitiness is fresh and is doubled with a mild warming alcohol, tastes of pears and raisins. Pungent hops stay dominant but do not strangle the malt in anyway, the pungency varies from pine and spruce to grapefruit and peppery herbal flavors. The actual hop bitterness is sizable and puckers the palate. Caramel seems to push to the finish as well as the toasted flavor which shows a borderline roasted character, the hop bitterness is everlasting.

Notes: An elaborate multi-leveled complexity that jumps from hops to malt several times and touches upon the fruity esters as well, beefy in the hops and a perfectly level malt that leaves everything in balance to a point. A must try, this is what beer is about.

12 ouncer sampled, no freshness indication given. Pours orangy medium amber, moderate light tan head and leaves respectable and stringy lacing. Nose is honey maple malty. This is a fairly dry APA, nice mouthfeel, coating, medium bodied and smooth over the tongue. Balance is in evidence here, as this is an easy drinking ale. No complaints.Nothing special, just a better then average, pleasant to quaff, BA worthy brew

I'll start by admitting I bought this beer for the marketing gimmick... the idea of the prohibition/speakeasy clubs/bootlegging is an appealing subject to build a brewery around. The beer brewed a beautiful amber red color with a nice thick head, and the aroma of the hops was quite intoxicating in and of itself. It had a very strong hoppy smell, like no other amber ale I've had. It reminded me of a pale ale, or even an IPA. This was a pleasant surprise, I guess you could say. The taste was decent, but nothing spectacular. A very crisp, hoppy ale with little body. This was disappointing because the bottle claimed "A boldly hopped amber ale that strikes a perfect balance between caramel maltiness and its aggressive hopping." I definitely taste the maltiness, but it is anything but balanced (overpowered?) with the hoppiness. The lacing was nice and the beer finished well. If you are looking for an amber ale that drinks more like a mild IPA, then this is the beer for you. As for me, it will easily fade into obscurity as I continue on my quest to find the perfect beer...

An excellent amber. Pours true and clear amber with a puffy white head. Aroma of roasted caramel malt and some hops. Very smooth taste and perfectly balanced between the sweet malt and hop bite. A rare case of being hoppy, but not falling into the "weak IPA" category.

poured into a nonic glass from a 12oz brown bottle with a crimped on cap. Cool looking bottle silk screened painted label with a pair of eyes floating on the bottle. Brought over by larrydp for reviewing purposes.